Recommendations for $1.9 billion in school funds

Updated 11:17 pm, Thursday, January 3, 2013

HARTFORD -- A number of area school districts would be seeing their education funding from the state double and triple if the governor and Legislature accept the recommendations of a task force that completed its work on Thursday.

The Governor's Education Cost Sharing Task Force, which has been meeting for more than a year, wants to change the formula used in determining the annual distribution of some $1.9 billion in state funds that go to cities and towns to help run school districts. Most officials agreed the old formula was outdated and inappropriate.

The task force plan would use more up-to-date household income measures, weigh income and property values more equally and use free-and reduce-priced lunches to measure student poverty.

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Paying for our schools
Here is how the state education funding to cities and towns would change if the ECS Task Force recommendations are used and fully funded:
Town 2012-13 Recommendation
Ansonia $15.5 million $21.1 million
Bridgeport $168.6 million $211.4 million
Danbury $24.5 million $62.2 million
Greenwich $3.4 million $3.4 million
Milford $11 million $29.8 million
Norwalk $10.6 million $27.7 million
Seymour $10 million $12.8 million
Shelton $5.1 million $16.1 million
Stamford $8.8 $21 million
Stratford $21 million $39.7 million
Trumbull $3.1 million $9.8 million
Source: State ECS Task force

With the new formula and a new, higher per-pupil foundation, Bridgeport would see its funding rise from $168.6 million to $211.4 million.

But the city wouldn't be the only winner. Norwalk's funding would more than double, to $27.7 million. Shelton's funding would triple to $16 million, as would Trumbull's, from $3.1 million to $9.8 million.

"We believe that the recommendations, if adopted, will lead to a fairer and more predictable allocation and a more understandable and reliable process," stated the task force report, which was co-chaired by state budget chief Ben Barnes and state Sen. Andrea Stillman, D-Waterford.

The report acknowledges the state budget deficit. Even so, the report said that once the ECS grant is determined, it should be fully funded within six years.

The task force also recommends the state establish a consistent and equitable level of support for magnet schools, charter schools and the state's technical high schools.

The report won praise from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities.

"The final report of the task force reflected many of the concerns raised by CCM over the need to correct chronic state underfunding of pre-K-12 public education; update and fully fund an improved ECS formula; and reduce the over reliance on property taxes to fund public education," said Jim Finley, CCM's executive director.